Like Hack: Doodling Doodles and Whatever Else

Doodling has always been something I wish I was better at. I never knew where to start or where to go so I stopped trying. The irony is you only get better with practice. But I never felt I had the time or patience for it. Lately though, I have found the kick in the pants I needed. This post may seem ridiculous. When did doodling even become a thing?! As I spent more time getting lost in the doodle world, I was blown away by the artistic skill set it can provide.

(I want to mention that I am in no way affiliated with any of the programs or people mentioned below. This is just something that has had a very positive impact in my life that I want to share with you.)

I have been following the Doodle Institute’s #21DayDoodleChallenge (as mentioned in an earlier post). Everyday you do a set of doodles provided in their free to download manual. I also found a doodling course on SkillShare called “Doodle Art: Basics and Beyond” taught by Keren Duchan. She also provides a downloadable pdf where you first work on copying her images and progress to making your own.

This is what doodling has taught me so far:

Doodling can be a form of meditation

I have never been one to sit in a quiet room and turn off my mind. This is possibly the biggest reason why I don’t get more out of yoga. But I have come to find that a few minutes of doodling everyday works for me to reset. I am finally able to start with a line or a mark and grow from there. You don’t have to have a plan when you start your doodle, you can just go with the flow.

This was a surprise benefit to me that I never expected but am really enjoying and appreciating. I will be scheduling doodle time everyday for this reason!

Doodles can transform into anything

In Keren’s course, you watch as she doodles a city landscape. It was crazy to watch random lines turn into something like a city scape. I went with it though and managed to create something of a landscape with rain and lightening. It was so great!

I also figured out how to draw a pineapple. Among my random lines and dots, I realized it was a pineapple. I quickly grabbed another scrap of paper and managed to take the image out of my head and put it on paper. It was this huge AH-HA moment for me! I have always wished I was better at drawing. Not just shapes and images but to also have a better understanding of the logic and realism behind it. I feel like this is a step in the right direction!

Doodle art as inspiration

So, because of my random doodling, a part of my mind has been unlocked, allowing me to see the shapes and patterns in everyday things and images. I also feel my confidence is growing and the doodle challenges I see on Instagram don’t seem as daunting. This is the opening to the drawing world I was hoping for. I don’t plan to become some great sketch artist or anything, I just want to be able to draw what I see in my mind, as well as what my son sees in his. I want to draw that superhero or that pig or cow and have it be at least passable. He’s growing up so he won’t think everything I do is cool for too much longer :P.

So, for the reasons listed above, it is no mistake that doodling has moved from a project category to a life hack category. It is challenging yet freeing and inspiring. In the short time that I have been doodling (less than a month), I am absolutely, undeniably blown away by the positive impact of doodling on my life. I wish there was a better term for it since the word doodling seems so silly and childlike but, with the right inspiration, it can become so much more.

If you are interested in finding out more or hearing more about it, comment below or email me and I will be happy to provide you with the resources I have found. You can also follow me on Instagram where I intend on posting more of my work as I progress with my drawing and doodling.